Thankfully the SNP listened to Scottish Conservatives on Covid - Douglas Ross

By The Newsroom
Published 19th Jul 2021, 07:00 BST
Comment
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gives a Covid briefing at New St Andrew House last weekFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon gives a Covid briefing at New St Andrew House last week
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gives a Covid briefing at New St Andrew House last week
After a tumultuous year and a half, today marks the end of so many Covid rules that have limited what we can and can’t do in our lives.

The most severe restrictions that we have all tolerated, even when it’s made life exceptionally difficult for us personally, are now firmly in the rear-view mirror.

People across Scotland and the UK deserve our utmost thanks and appreciation for everything they have done throughout the pandemic to fight this virus. The sacrifices have been truly astounding, when you stop to think about what we have collectively gone through.

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However, now, it is right that we move forward. We are in a different phase of the pandemic.

John Devlin 20/04/2021. GLASGOW. Balgrayhill Rd. Douglas Ross joins FAVOR Scotland CEO Annemarie Ward, who is also a member of the SNP, to launch a ‘Right to Rehab’ pledge that would enshrine people’s right to access residential rehabilitation services in law, so they can no longer be denied treatment. ‘Right to Rehab’ necessary as Scotland’s drug deaths ‘undoubtedly will rise’ Recovery experts have raised the alarm that Scotland’s drug deaths figures “undoubtedly will rise” as people still cannot access rehab and drug treatment programmes. Douglas Ross joins FAVOR Scotland CEO Annemarie Ward, who is also a member of the SNP, to launch a ‘Right to Rehab’ pledge that would enshrine people’s right to access residential rehabilitation services in law, so they can no longer be denied treatment. Recovery organisation FAVOR Scotland have recently sought senior legal counsel to bring cases to court when people are denied access to rehabilitation or drug treatment. The ‘Right to Rehab’ policy, which will be brought before the Scottish Parliament in the first week of the new term, contains three parts: 1. Enshrining a right to the necessary treatment in law. 2. Producing national standards and referral guidance to increase the accessibility of rehabilitation programmes. 3. A dedicated, autonomous national funding pot to bypass ADPs and the current broken system. Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “For too long, the government has taken its eye off the ball, by its own admission. Tackling drug deaths has not been a priority and that has to change now. Too many lives have already been lost. “We will seek to enshrine a Right to Rehab in law to make sure that everyone who wants help gets access to the treatment they need, accompanied by a central fund to bypass the broken system. “We will keep campaigning and forcing the SNP to act for as long as it takes to improve access to treatmentJohn Devlin 20/04/2021. GLASGOW. Balgrayhill Rd. Douglas Ross joins FAVOR Scotland CEO Annemarie Ward, who is also a member of the SNP, to launch a ‘Right to Rehab’ pledge that would enshrine people’s right to access residential rehabilitation services in law, so they can no longer be denied treatment. ‘Right to Rehab’ necessary as Scotland’s drug deaths ‘undoubtedly will rise’ Recovery experts have raised the alarm that Scotland’s drug deaths figures “undoubtedly will rise” as people still cannot access rehab and drug treatment programmes. Douglas Ross joins FAVOR Scotland CEO Annemarie Ward, who is also a member of the SNP, to launch a ‘Right to Rehab’ pledge that would enshrine people’s right to access residential rehabilitation services in law, so they can no longer be denied treatment. Recovery organisation FAVOR Scotland have recently sought senior legal counsel to bring cases to court when people are denied access to rehabilitation or drug treatment. The ‘Right to Rehab’ policy, which will be brought before the Scottish Parliament in the first week of the new term, contains three parts: 1. Enshrining a right to the necessary treatment in law. 2. Producing national standards and referral guidance to increase the accessibility of rehabilitation programmes. 3. A dedicated, autonomous national funding pot to bypass ADPs and the current broken system. Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “For too long, the government has taken its eye off the ball, by its own admission. Tackling drug deaths has not been a priority and that has to change now. Too many lives have already been lost. “We will seek to enshrine a Right to Rehab in law to make sure that everyone who wants help gets access to the treatment they need, accompanied by a central fund to bypass the broken system. “We will keep campaigning and forcing the SNP to act for as long as it takes to improve access to treatment
John Devlin 20/04/2021. GLASGOW. Balgrayhill Rd. Douglas Ross joins FAVOR Scotland CEO Annemarie Ward, who is also a member of the SNP, to launch a ‘Right to Rehab’ pledge that would enshrine people’s right to access residential rehabilitation services in law, so they can no longer be denied treatment. ‘Right to Rehab’ necessary as Scotland’s drug deaths ‘undoubtedly will rise’ Recovery experts have raised the alarm that Scotland’s drug deaths figures “undoubtedly will rise” as people still cannot access rehab and drug treatment programmes. Douglas Ross joins FAVOR Scotland CEO Annemarie Ward, who is also a member of the SNP, to launch a ‘Right to Rehab’ pledge that would enshrine people’s right to access residential rehabilitation services in law, so they can no longer be denied treatment. Recovery organisation FAVOR Scotland have recently sought senior legal counsel to bring cases to court when people are denied access to rehabilitation or drug treatment. The ‘Right to Rehab’ policy, which will be brought before the Scottish Parliament in the first week of the new term, contains three parts: 1. Enshrining a right to the necessary treatment in law. 2. Producing national standards and referral guidance to increase the accessibility of rehabilitation programmes. 3. A dedicated, autonomous national funding pot to bypass ADPs and the current broken system. Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “For too long, the government has taken its eye off the ball, by its own admission. Tackling drug deaths has not been a priority and that has to change now. Too many lives have already been lost. “We will seek to enshrine a Right to Rehab in law to make sure that everyone who wants help gets access to the treatment they need, accompanied by a central fund to bypass the broken system. “We will keep campaigning and forcing the SNP to act for as long as it takes to improve access to treatment

The balance has to tilt further in favour of moving forward. We have to make more progress back to normality.

People are sick of these restrictions. Continuing with widespread, far-reaching impositions would only have risked public confidence and buy-in to the overall approach.

Scotland and the UK’s vaccine scheme has been such a resounding success that we are no longer stuck in lockdown limbo, under constant threat of returning to the strictest of rules about where we can travel and who we can meet.

For some time, my party have argued for a safe but swifter easing of Covid restrictions. We had strongly made the case for a move to level zero from today and I’m relieved to say the SNP government accepted those calls, with relatively minor modifications.

We had feared another Nicola Sturgeon Covid statement that took two steps forward and one back, where the goalposts were shifted at the last minute, and we would all have to put up with a few more weeks of delays.

But thankfully, the SNP listened to the Scottish Conservatives and business leaders, who were all seeking certainty and clarity about the immediate road ahead. We hope that will continue and they will once again listen regarding the next crucial date on our calendar – the 9 August date when almost all remaining restrictions are expected to be lifted.

It’s vital that the government gets Covid back under control so there are no delays to that plan. People have sacrificed more than enough to Covid, and for far longer than any of us expected.

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